This invention relates to a system for cutting insulation. Insulation can be employed for a variety of applications, and the insulation is usually formed into standard sizes which are then cut into different shapes depending upon the particular application for the insulation.
Glass fiber insulation is an example of a type of product requiring some system for cutting the product into a desired shape. In one particular application, the insulation is utilized for providing ducts for heating and cooling systems. In such systems, the insulating characteristics of the product provide advantages, and the product is also light-weight and, therefore, easily handled during installation. Furthermore, the insulation can be readily cut to provide different sizes and shapes.
Machines have been developed for cutting glass fiber product for example, as described in Gale, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,142 and Barr U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,534. The machines described in these patents generally involve the use of a frame employed for mounting one or more cutting blades. Drive rollers are mounted on the frame for engaging a section of insulation and the board is driven relative to the stationery blades for achieving the cutting action. In such systems, the cutting is limited to cutting along a line or lines parallel with the direction of movement of the board. If cutting transverse to such lines is desired, the board must be turned 90 degrees and then driven a second time through the machine.
Other types of cutting systems are known such as sheet metal cutting machines using plasma arc cutting means. In machines of this type, the plasma arc cutting tool is mounted on a transverse beam, and drive means associated with the beam operate to move the cutting tool transversely over a bed supporting the sheet metal. The beam is in turn mounted on supports which engage rails running longitudinally of the bed. Separate drive means achieve movement of the beam and associated tool in a longitudinal direction which provides maximum versatility for the tool. Thus, any combination of transverse and longitudinal positions of the tool can be accomplished whereby the tool can move along lines which are parallel to transverse and longitudinal axes as well as along lines between these axes. The cutting tool can, for example, be programed to cut around corners and to achieve curved cutting lines where desired.